A British couple have told how they to quit their jobs to travel the world for a year despite the ongoing global pandemic.
Lizzy, 25, and Richard, 27, both from Yorkshire, decided to push ahead with their globe-trotting plans and jetted off on December 30.
They travelled to London Gatwick in West Sussex, despite government advice at the time urging people to avoid unnecessary trips to Tier 4 areas to limit the spread of coronavirus, to board their flight to the Caribbean island of Antigua, which recorded just three new Covid-19 cases in the past seven days. They’re now in Costa Rica.
In a TikTok video which went viral, the couple explained how people told them they were crazy to go travelling right now, but that they have ‘been dreaming and saving to do this for years, and wanted to at least try’.
They said: ‘There were times we have thought we shouldn’t go at all or delay it, but once we were back in the Tier system and we were permitted to leave the UK, we decided to go for it.
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Lizzy, 25, and Richard, 27, both from Yorkshire, decided to quit their jobs to travel the world for a year despite the ongoing global pandemic. Pictured on a previous trip to Santorini last year
In a TikTok video which went viral, the couple explained how people told them they were crazy to go travelling right now, but that they have ‘been dreaming and saving to do this for years, and wanted to at least try’
‘There is so much of the world open for tourists right now and who are living as normal, and our mindset was that if countries are open for tourism and happy to have us there, then we would love to visit.’
The couple met when they were studying at university and always knew they wanted to travel together.
They explained: ‘We had jobs at university and saved to go away during the summer breaks.
‘Once we had full-time jobs after uni, we used most of our annual leave for budget trips away.
The couple have just left the Caribbean island of Antigua, their first stop, which recorded just three new Covid-19 cases in the past seven days
The couple admitted there were time they thought they shouldn’t go at all or delay it, but once the UK was put back in the Tier system and they were permitted to leave, they decided to go for it. Pictured: Lizzy on a beach in Antigua
The couple, pictured in Costa Rica on their travels, met when they were studying at university and always knew they wanted to travel together
‘We found that we would rather see more places for longer periods of time, than less places paying luxury prices.’
Eventually Lizzy and Richard realised they’d saved enough to travel full time for a year provided they budgeted accordingly.
‘We worked long hours to save enough during that time, but we always knew we both had a passion for seeing the world and wanted to explore that further,’ Lizzy explained.
‘We set goals and stuck to them; we both had a savings goal and didn’t stop until we made it, always with the view to use that money to travel for as long as we could.
Lizzy and Richard both had a passion for seeing the world and saved up for years to afford their dream trip
The global pandemic put a huge spanner in the works, but Lizzy and Richard – who have been together for over six years – decided to go ahead with their plans regardless last month
‘We didn’t go out for many meals or coffees. We cycled to work, made packed lunches instead of buying lunch, and when we went away we spent the bare minimum on accommodation and meals.’
The global pandemic put a huge spanner in the works, but Lizzy and Richard – who have been together for over six years – decided to go ahead with their plans regardless.
They admitted it’s not all been plain sailing: ‘The main challenges are uncertainty around where we’re going and when, the entry requirements to different countries and potentially getting stuck in a country due to a lockdown,’ they explained.
‘We are only travelling to countries which are open to tourists and we are following all restrictions put in place by those countries, like taking PCR tests before entering.
Lizzy and Richard are only travelling to countries which are open to tourists and are following all restrictions put in place there
The intrepid duo are hoping to travel for a year but are taking things as they come. Pictured: Lizzy in Costa Rica
Lizzy (pictured in Greece last year) said they may decide to get jobs along the way because the world is changing so quickly
‘We know we can’t live this life forever, but we both wanted to do it while we’re young,’ Lizzy said. Pictured: the couple on a beach in Antigua
‘We used the UK government website to determine which countries are open to tourists right now and what the entry requirements are.’
The intrepid duo are hoping to travel for a year but are taking things as they come.
‘We know we can’t live this life forever, but we both wanted to do it while we’re young,’ Lizzy said.
‘We hope to travel for the year, but we are taking things day by day as the world is changing so quickly. We also may try to get jobs somewhere abroad too.’
You can follow their adventures by heading to @flossys-wonderland on Instagram, where they detail their adventures.
You can follow their adventures by heading to @flossys-wonderland on Instagram, where they detail their adventures. Pictured at home in the UK